[Tlhingan-hol] ghawran DIS chu' nabmey

[Steven Boozer]

mayql qunenoS wrote:
> > you wrote that I should have said :
> >
> >> Use {toQDuj So'lu'pu'bogh} "bird of prey which has been cloaked."
> >
> > however this confuses me, since I remember we had said that klingon
> > doesn't have a passive voice..

SuStel: 
> I translated it into English passive voice, but it's not passive voice in
> the Klingon. It literally means "bird of prey which someone or something
> unspecified or unknown or general has cloaked."
> 
> {-lu'} refers to an indefinite, unknown, and/or general subject. I don't
> know and/or don't care who cloaked the bird of prey; I only care that it
> is cloaked.

A good example is {to'baj 'uS[Du'] lughoDlu'bogh} "stuffed *tobbaj* legs" (the traditional meal during QI'lop, the holiday honoring the Klingon military):

  to'baj 'uS lughoDlu'bogh tIlaj 
  Accept these stuffed *tobbaj* legs! PK

  Ho'Du'lIjDaq to'baj 'uSHom lughoDlu'bogh tu'lu' 
  You have some stuffed *tobbaj* leg in your teeth. PK

Here the plural suffix {-Du'} is omitted as plurality is indicated by the verb prefix {lu-} - although it works backwards when used with the suffix {-lu'}:

TKD 38f.:  Thus, {vI-}, which normally means "I do something to him/her", when in a verb with {-lu'} means "someone/something does something to me". Similarly, the prefix {lu-}, which normally means "they do something to him/her", becomes "someone/something does something to them".

Other examples:

  Heghpu'bogh tlhIngan mInDu' lupoSmoHlu' 
  The eyes of the fallen Klingon are opened S31

  cha'pujqutmey chIm lutamlu' 
  Drained dilithium crystals are replaced. MKE

  'entepray' Hub patmey luchu'be'lu'pu' 
  Enterprise defense systems are down. (ST5 notes)


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons